Marape calls for calm in capital

Prime Minister James Marape has called for calm during this time as the numbers of confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the city increases.
Marape urged everyone in the city to remain calm and not panic.
“I want to assure the people of Papua New Guinea that the Government is acutely aware of the economic impact that the ongoing crisis is having and that we will continue to identify measures to cushion the economy and provide practical support to business.
“I also call on all Papua New Guineans to cooperate with all of the measures that have been put in place.
“All of us must play a role in defeating this terrible virus.
“We must take responsibility of our health and that of our family, neighbors and country.
“At such times, it is not time to play petty politics or the blame game.
“We must all work together to stop the spread of this invisible enemy by washing our hands, practicing social distancing and staying at home.
“All of us can play our part in stopping the virus from spreading by complying with the new measures put in place.”
Marape said that Covid-19 continued to cause significant disruption globally, with widespread infections and deaths now being reported worldwide. “As of today, there have been more than 16 million cases reported around the world with more than 600,000 deaths,” he said.
“In our region, two of our nearest neighbors, Indonesia and Australia continue to battle significant outbreaks.
“In Indonesia, there have been almost 2,000 cases in the last 24 hours alone.
“Along our western border with Papua, some 3,220 cases have been reported to date, with 116 new cases and two deaths in just the last 24 hours.
“And Papua New Guinea is not immune from the impact of this awful virus.
“It does not discriminate. It affects the rich and the poor, the young and the old.
“In short, we must do everything we can as a nation to contain it.”
he said.